Posts From May, 2014

More than 100 people die each day in the U.S. because of prescription drugs.
The National Institute of Drug Abuse has some pretty shocking statistics detailing just how bad America’s addiction has become. For example: the US, which holds 5 percent of the world’s population, is responsible for 75 percent of global prescription drug use; 52 million people over the age of 12 have used this medication for purposes outside of what they are intended for; enough painkillers were prescribed in 2010 to ... read more

Methamphetamine is a synthetically manufactured stimulant known for its ability to profoundly alter the brain’s chemical environment and foster both drug abuse and drug addiction. Some of the brain changes found in users of the drug may appear before problems with abuse and addiction begin, while others may stem from the direct impact of chronic methamphetamine exposure in certain brain areas. According to study results reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in March 2014, most of the ... read more

Thanks to our friends at Screen4, a handy guide has been produced to help employers identify if their staff could be under the influence of drugs of abuse.
The card can be viewed online here.
The card acompanies the wide range of training which Screen4 are pleased to offer, to discuss any training requirements you may have, please contact Robbie Burns, Head of Training at Screen4 – robbieburns@screen4.org.
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Almost three-quarters of the calls made to ChildLine were from under 15-year-old
ChildLine counsellors in Scotland carried out almost a thousand sessions with children concerned about parents abusing drink or drugs last year.
Across the UK, the number of calls to the charity about this has more than doubled.
Almost three-quarters of those seeking counselling were aged under 15.
The Scottish government said it remained "hugely important" to educate children about the dangers of substance... read more

Firms need to get tougher with people caught drinking and driving.
That was the message from a Huddersfield safety charity as a new survey found fewer than half (44%) would dismiss an employee for driving over the legal alcohol limit.
Brake has serious concerns over people who drive for a living and wants a zero-tolerance policy to be implemented.
Their survey revealed:
More than half never test employees for alcohol (55%) or drugs (57%)
Four in 10 (44%) would dismiss an employee found... read more